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of pagan, perverted philosophy of
man that has come along! The fact
that many doctrines, ideas and prac–
tices of men are caJied "Christian"
proves absolutely nothing!
Did Christ start these ideas and
institutions? Do they follow His
teaching and His example? How can
you know?
Wbat was the teaching of Jesus
Christ?
The only authoritative answer is
found in the inspired record of what
Jesus did teach and in the perfect
example He set for us to follow.
Your own Bible contains this in–
spired record.
With the above questions in
mind, let's look into the Bible hon–
estly, openly and without prejudice.
What did Jesus - the author of
true Christianity - actually teach
and do? And remember that a true
"Christian" is one who
follows
Christ
and His teaching!
What Did Jesus Teach?
At the beginning of His ministry,
"Jesus carne into Gali1ee, preachlng
the gospel of the kíngdom of God,
and saying, The time is fu1filled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand: re–
pent ye, and believe the gospel"
(Mark 1:14-15).
The word "kingdom" implies
"government." Jesus was talking
about the coming government of
God over this earth. He com–
manded: "Repent ye, and believe
the gospel!"
To "repent" means to be so sorry
that you are not only willing to quit
living in what theo1ogians call "sin"
- but that you are also willing to
turn around and go the other way.
But what is sin? God answers, "Sin
is the transgression of the law"
(1
John 3:4).
So we must repent of disobeying
God's government - of breaking
His law!
Again, notice Jesus' own inspired
words on this subject: "Think not
[although many do want to thínk
PLAIN lRUTH Morch 1973
this] tbat 1 am come to destroy the
1aw, or the prophets: I am not come
to destroy, but to fu1fill " (Matthew
5: 17). Greek scholars acknow1edge
that the word trans1ated "fulfill"
means not on1y "to do or perform,"
but a1so to ''fill to the full." In other
words, Jesus, in His own tife, filled
to the full and perfectly performed
the spiritual intent and purpose of
God's 1aw - to 1ove God with all
your might and to love your neigh–
bor as yourself.
Why did He do this? Todo away
with God's Iaw by this means?
That's what men will try to tell you!
The ultimate criterion for right and
wrong, many church leaders say, is
not divine command, but the indi–
vidual's subjective perception of
what is good for himself. "We are
delivered from the law," they ex–
postulate. But let God answer. In a
prophecy about the coming Mes–
siah, Isaiab wrote: ' 'The Lord is well
p1eased for his righteousness' sake;
he will magnify the law, and make it
honourable" (Isaiah 42:21).
Jesus Magnifi ed God' s Law
To magnify does not mean to de–
stroy, but to show forth and enlarge
to the fullest possible extent. Jesus
perfectly fulfilled and magnified
God's law to sbow us íts fullest spiri–
tual application and also to set us an
examp1e that we shou1d follow in
His steps
(1
Peter 2:21).
Jesus continued
in
this same dis–
course: "Wbosoever therefore shall
break one of these least command–
ments, and shall teach men so, he
shall be called the 1east in the king–
dom of beaven: but whosoever shall
do and teach them, tbe same shall
be called great in the kingdom of
heaven" (Matthew 5: 19). So accord–
ing to Jesus' teaching, you have to
both do and teach even the leas t of
God's commandments if you are to
become great in Hís IGngdom. This
is just the opposite of the common
teaching of "Christianity" today.
Probably, you were taught to be-
1ieve Jesus did away with the law of
God.
Jesus showed that even to bate a
brother - involving as it does the
spirit of murder -
is
bringing us
ioto judgment before the spiritual
1aw of God (Matthew 5:21-26). He
vivid1y illustrated how one can com–
mit aduJtery not just by performing
the act, but by even lusting after a
woman in
bis
heart (verses 27-28).
Read these examples in your own
Bib1e. Think about them. In every
case, tbey obviously do not do away
with God's law, but rather, they
make it all the more binding!
Matthew's fifth chapter ends with
Jesus' instruction: "Be ye ["become
ye" is the literal, original Greek]
therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven
is
per–
fect" (verse 48).
Obedience to God and His law
is
the keynote of the entire Sermon on
the Mount. Jesus declared: "Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord , shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the
will
of my Father which is in heaven"
(Matthew 7:21).
Later during His ministry, a
young man carne and interviewed
Him saying, "Good Master, wbat
good thing shall
1
do, that
1
may
have eterna! life? And he said unto
him, Why callest thou me good?
there is none good but one, that is,
God: but
if
thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments"
(Matthew
19: 16- 17). Then Jesus proceeded to
name sorne of the Ten Command–
ments (verses 18-19). In this bríef in–
terview, Jesus again emphasized the
principie of obedience.
Does God's Government
Hove Laws?
Speaking about the good news
which He preached, Jesus stated :
' 'The law and the prophets were un–
ti! John: since that time the king–
dom of God is preached, and every
roan presseth into it. And it is easier
for heaven and earth to pass, than
one tittle of the law to fail" (Luke
15